Red Bicycle
by Lily Lindsey-Aubrey
Summary: The Doctor realizes to his great agitation that he forgot to give Rose her red bicycle on her twelfth birthday. He rushes back to do it, and bumps into... never mind, that's ;) ...spoilers! Day Ten of the Fan Fiction Christmas Countdown.


**_Author's Note:_**  
_We're back with another story for the Fan Fiction Christmas Countdown! If you haven't already, head back to my profile and read **The Iron Hills Mall**. It's the first in our FFCC, and is a Hobbit fanfic. Since all the stories tie in together we recommend reading them all; they're understandable even if you haven't seen/read what they're based on. But they are also stand alone if you'd rather not read the rest. You can read all about our FFCC on our profiles. Warning: If you are extremely picky about spoilers, don't read this story. It contains a few for the episodes 'The Empty Child' and 'The Doctor Dances.'_

_Quick responses from OneSizeFitsAll to the reviews for her story: __**Silenthunder:** Thanks for reviewing! True, the _idea_ of having crossguards is really smart...just the _design_ of the one in the trailer made no sense. There are only a few types of metal that would stop a lightsaber blade to use for the crosspiece, holding the cross guards together...and if that was what they used, why make part of the cross guard of lightsaber material? Not to mention, if you did any fancy twirling, or your opponent twisted it out of your grasp, you would probably be immediately dehanded. Unfortunately I can't send links, or I could shoot you a picture of a lightsaber with cross guard which actually would work really well. :-/ Yes, Darth Maul's weapon was dangerous, but it didn't have the nonsensical design of the new lightsaber. And I still find it much more believable. :) **ErinKenobi2893:** Glad you found it funny! Aww...why not? Jk. :P The lightsaber umbrella is a real thing. Google it! xD**Melkor'sOnlyLieutenant:** Yes! Glad you caught that! Yeah, Qui-Gon is awesome. And he's Liam Neeson! I was so mad to hear they won't be putting him in episode 7. *dissolves into tears* Ugh, that's horrible...I would hate working on Black Friday...though I'm sure I'll have to, one of these days. Yeah, there's lots of stuff out there making fun of it...just googling "new lightsaber" brings up images of lightsaber chainsaws... :P **Rousdower:** Heya! I'm glad you liked it! Hope you resurrect, though... **Thalion Estel: **Glad you enjoyed it! Heheh...yeah. I like poking fun at random stuff, in case you haven't noticed. :D **EvenstarWarrior:** Thank you! Yeah, they're mine, too...though I don't remember Kit Fisto...was he/she in the movies? (Sorry...really bad with names.) Wow, we have quite a mix of new lightsaber supporters and haters. :D Heh...I can understand that. The lines were kind of annoying, too. **ThurinRanger:** Thanks! I really enjoyed dredging up mistakes to point out...*maniacal laugh* Heheh...I'd never actually thought that far ahead, but yes, I pity him as well. Yay! Cause it's here! **Lily Lindsey-Aubrey:** Glad you liked it! Yeah, I figured you'd get those references... **ccgaylord:** Thank you! So is he...though he might change his mind when Christmas gets here._

_Here is our character list for those who haven't seen any Doctor Who episodes:_

The Doctor- a time lord who travels in time and space to help people, save the world, have fun, etc. No one knows his real name. He appears in three incarnations in this story: the ninth, the tenth, and the eleventh. They're all him, but at different times. Hard to explain, wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.  
Rose Tyler- the Doctor's companion who travels with him helping him have fun. She is always needing saving.  
Mickey Smith- Rose's boyfriend who she often ditches in London while she goes off galavanting with the Doctor.  
Captain Jack Harkness- an annoying American along for the ride. He is a time agent, and can travel by himself, but he chooses to run around with Rose and the Doctor.  
The TARDIS- The Doctor's travel machine. It is in the form of a blue police call box. It makes a pleasant 'vworp vworp' sound as it goes.

**Red Bicycle**  
_On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me ten time lords leaping…_

The Doctor was extremely happy. Everything this last time had gone perfectly. He had fixed up Captain Jack's mistakes quite well. The nanogenes would clean everything up, everything would be fixed, and there would be no more empty child.

'Look at you,' Rose laughed, 'beaming away like Father Christmas.'

'Who says I'm not?' said the Doctor. 'Red bicycle when you were twelve.'

'What?' said Rose, confused. Then the Doctor gulped. He hadn't forgotten, had he? He had been sure he'd given her a red bicycle. Maybe he hadn't…

He was still was worrying about it twenty minutes later as he sat in the Tardis. 'I thought for certain I had...' he mumbled. 'Well, nothing for it. I'll have to go back and give it now.'

'What?' Rose asked.

'Nothing. Hey, Rose, how would you like to go have some pizza with Rickey?'

'Mickey!' that individual corrected, bursting through the door.

'Oh, look, we've landed in London,' said Rose carelessly. 'Hello Mickey.'

'Rose,' he yelled. 'I thought you were never coming back!'

'There you go, boyfriend at your side, pizza place down the street. Out of my Tardis and go have lunch,' said the Doctor cheerfully.

'I'm not hungry,' protested Rose.

'P-p-pizza,' said Mickey.

'Yes, Rickey, take her for pizza,' the Doctor ordered, pushing them out of the police call box and onto the streets of London. 'I'll be back soon.'

'Where are we going?' asked Jack, who was busily playing with the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

'Stoppit!' said the Doctor. 'We're going to give Rose a red bicycle!'

'Wait, what?'

'I was going to give her one when she turned twelve,' the Doctor explained, running around the Tardis and pulling levers. 'Apparently I forgot to.'

'So we're going back in time just to give a kid a bicycle?' Jack asked. 'It's not like you're Santa Claus-'

'Who says? Sonic blaster when you were eighteen.'

'What?'

'Here we are! Back in '98.' The Doctor exited the Tardis and looked up at the apartment building he'd landed in front of.

'So this is the same place, just seven years ago,' said Jack Harkness. 'Aren't you afraid she'll see you?'

'No, I go through the chimney,' said the Doctor. 'Get back inside.'

'This building doesn't have a chimney,' said Jack.

'None of your business how I do my work!' said the Doctor. 'Now get back in the Tardis or I'll teleport you into the next millenium.'

_Several minutes later…_

The Doctor was finally in the house. All was quiet. He tiptoed to the Christmas tree with his large package and placed it underneath. Then he hurried back out.

'Did you do it?' asked Jack.

'Yes. But we're not leaving yet. I want to see her open it.' The duo crept to the window and peaked in.

'She's woken up,' said Jack. 'Did she see it? Out of my way, I can't see!'

'Shut up,' said the Doctor. 'She's opening it! Oooh she's almost got it unwrapped- out of my way-'

'WHAT!' yelled Jack.

'What?' asked the Doctor.

'It's supposed to be red, isn't it?'

'Yes, why?'

'She's crying because it's blue.'

'Blue?' The Doctor moaned. 'Did I make another mistake?'

'Yes you did,' said Jack dryly. 'Now go back and fix it.'

'To the Tardis,' said the Doctor, raising his sonic screwdriver aloft.

'To the Tardis,' Jack agreed.

_Several minutes later…_

'Did you get the right colour this time?' Jack hissed as the Doctor slunk back to the house with a large package once more under his arm.

'Of course,' said the Doctor. 'I never make the same mistake twice.'

'Right. In you go; be careful, don't break it.'

The Doctor successfully deposited the present once more under the Christmas tree and dusted his hands on his jacket, relieved. 'That's done,' he said, and went to wait outside the window again.

Dawn struck. Rose awoke. She rushed downstairs, and stood looking at the tree happily.

'She's opening it,' said Jack.

'Out of my way! My turn to see!' said the Doctor.

'Snakes!' said Jack.'It's still blue!'

'No,' said the Doctor, looking in horror at the sight of Rose, a blue bicycle before her, weeping passionately. 'I'm sure I got red.'

'It's definitely blue,' said Jack, shaking his head. 'Would it be better if you retired your Santa duties?'

The Doctor pursed his lips and threw his sonic screwdriver on the ground. He had to get it right, for Rose's sake. What had gone wrong? 'I know!' he yelled, brightening up considerably. 'I left the blue one underneath when I put the red one! The red one must be under there somewhere as well. All I have to do is go back in time, remove the blue bicycle, and tada!'

'You can only do this for so long,' said Jack, 'since each time you have to come later in the night and closer to morning so you won't run into your previous self.'

'Yeah, but I've got it now,' said the Doctor confidently.

_Several minutes later…_

'Alright, at last everything is perfect,' said the Doctor, satisfied with his night's work. He had once more joined Jack Harkness at the window. 'What time did she get up?'

'Last two times it was about five thirty,' said Jack. 'It is now five twenty-eight.'

'Ah!' the doctor said, 'what's that?'

'What?'

'There's something moving in the room,' the Doctor whispered.

'What does it look like?' Jack asked, fumbling for his binoculars.

'Uh, humanoid. With a tuft of hairish stuff on top of his head. At least it looks like that… I can only see his shadow.'

'I see him now!' said Jack. 'He's coming towards the wind-'

The window was pulled up and the humanoid figure dove out to join the Doctor and the Captain in the bushes.

'Don't move or I'll sonic you silly!' said the Doctor, trying to keep Jack Harkness from blowing a hole in the man.

'It's me,' protested he, raising his hands and eyebrows. 'I'm the Doctor.'

'Wait, what?' said Jack, lowering his weapon.

'I am the Doctor,' the Doctor corrected him.

'Former,' said the other Doctor. 'I came back to help, since it looked like you were having trouble.'

'What?' The Doctor was still confused.

'I took the blue bicycle so that she'll only have the red one and everything will be perfect,' said the Doctor happily. 'Now everything is fixed.'

'But I'd already removed the blue bicycle,' said the Doctor. The Doctors stood staring at each other, aghast. Suddenly there was a scream from inside the room. The trio all collided at the window and tried to all look in at once.

'Father Christmas didn't give me a bicycle,' she sobbed.

'Oh dear, we took both of them,' said the tenth Doctor.

'Idiot,' said the ninth Doctor. 'I had it sorted.'

'It's not my fault,' moaned the tenth.'I'm always confused around Christmas trees. Ever since that time when that one made a hole in Rose's house… they sort of traumatize me, you see...'

'Get out of here and let me handle this,' the ninth Doctor ordered. 'I'm going back in time to fix everything up. Stay out of my way. This is my last chance.'

'I think I'll just stay here,' said Jack Harkness, getting in the Tardis and sitting down. 'Have fun.'

'Last try,' said the Doctor. 'And don't you dare mess it up again,' he added, pointing accusingly at himself.

_Several minutes later…_

The package was in place. The Doctor had made extra sure that it was the only bicycle. And that it was red. No mixups this time. He hid under the window again. Breathless. He could hear Rose coming. It had to be right this time. It just had to be.

Rose ripped open the wrapping, as he had watched her do before. It was a bicycle. It was red. It was perfect. Rose was jumping up and down and squealing. 'Mum! I got my red bicycle!' she said happily. 'Oh, look, there's another present.'

The Doctor, who had been just about to turn away and head back to the future, jumped in surprise. 'That's not supposed to happen,' he said, worriedly. Rose opened the next present. It looked oddly familiar.

'It's another red bicycle!' said Rose happily. 'I wonder why Father Christmas gave me two...'

'What is happening?' the Doctor groaned.

'Aahh,' said someone, tripping over a randomly placed snowman and landing at the Doctor's feet.

'Aahh,' agreed the Doctor. 'Who are you?'

'I am the Doctor,' said the person, pulling himself up by his suspenders. 'I did that, you know. Gave her another bicycle. Just in case. Can't be too careful.'

'You!' the Doctor yelled. 'Why do I ruin everything? Now she'll have too many bicycles.'

'You can't have too many bicycles,' the eleventh Doctor contradicted. 'Can you, Doctor?'

'I don't know,' said the tenth skeptically.

'You two,' said the ninth, shaking his fist. 'I'm going home to the future. Don't you follow me. I'm through with you two. For good and all.'

'Ha, not really,' said the tenth.

'Not remotely,' said the eleventh.

'Bah,' said the ninth, getting in the Tardis and slamming the door.

_Several minutes later…_

'Here comes the Doctor, Mickey,' said Rose excitedly, running out of the Pizza place and towards where the vworp vworp sound was emanating from. The Tardis appeared.

'Hello Rose,' said the Doctor, poking his head out and smiling dazzlingly. 'TWO RED BICYCLES WHEN YOU WERE TWELVE!'

'What?'

'Jump in. We're going to Cardiff!'

'Wait for me!' yelled Mickey.

'Meet us there!' said Rose cheerfully, hopping in and waving goodbye.

'But-'

'Oh, Jack, you're still in here?' said Rose in surprise. The Tardis slowly vanished.

'Rose has too many boyfriends,' Mickey said ruefully, and trudged slowly to the tube station.

Fin_  
_

_Hope you enjoyed it! :) Mickey didn't. :( Please review, and then head on to **ccgaylord**'s profile to await tomorrow's fan fic: **Christmas on Baker Street**._


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